Band Of Brothers
by Enjie
Summary: Ryoga visits his family for Christmas as a promise to his mother. A family that includes a father who hates him, a brat for a brother and a cousin he doesn't know. Will he finally find acceptance in the tennis obsessed family if he hates tennis itself?
1. Chapter 1

Band Of Brothers-s Chapter 1

He knocked on the door. In all honesty, he had come to dread these visits in the past few years. But he had made a promise to his mother that he would try harder to be a part of this family. So whenever his family came to America in the holidays he made it a point to visit them once after visiting his mother's grave to gather the courage. His hands were laden with gifts. Not only was this Christmas Eve but his younger brother's birthday too. He always got the same gift for him. He wasn't close to his brother but he was in enough tennis magazines, which made it a habit to always point it out that Ryoma Echizen loved Ponta. So he bought a whole carton for him, grape flavoured too. His father was even easier to shop for. Buy him anything tennis related, and he'd be as happy as a nut. He knocked again, louder this time. His cousin sister Nanako opened the door.

"Ryoga-san Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas Nanako" he greeted her equally politely. He did not know what to make of this sister of his. He didn't hate her but he wasn't sure if he liked her. All the while, he had come to know her; she was too polite for her own good. They behaved as strangers but of all his family members, she was the closet to the word 'family' in his mind.

"Come on in, uncle and Ryoma are in the backyard."

Ryoga stepped in and shook off the snow from his coat. The house was warm and decorated in festive lights. In a corner, presents were piled under the Christmas tree. He placed his own under the tree too.

"I hope you will stay for dinner."

"Isn't that why I always come here Nanako-chan? Your cooking keeps drawing me back"

He looked further around the house. Everything was the same as usual. His cousin did a good job of maintaining the house while juggling her medical studies. There was constant sound of a ball being hit back and forth. He made his way to the backyard where surely two men were playing tennis. Only they would be crazy enough to play in this cold weather. He sat on the benches with Nanako. There was no need to make his presence known yet, they would not bother. They were already too engrossed in their match. Nanjiroh Echizen never found any opponent worthy enough to make him play seriously, even in the pro circuits, so he retired from the game. And no other opponent could make Ryoma Echizen break a sweat, especially now that he had opened the last door, the Pinnacle of Perfection. That was why Ryoma and Nanjiroh never got tired of playing against each other. The only two in history to have achieved Pinnacle of Perfection played like they were in Grand Slam Finals instead of their backyard but Ryoga knew from experience that between them, there was never any 'friendly' matches as they continued to slaughter each other on the courts, torturing the ball flying between them. After another hour, the match ended at 67-65 tie break in Ryoma's favour. Nanjiroh of course chalked it down as 'a fluke' and his 'bones' which were getting too old to play in this cold weather.

His brother, now seventeen, was the first to notice him.

"Happy birthday Ryoma"

"Ah, thank you Ryoga. You got me my usual present I hope"

"Of course. It wouldn't do for me to disappoint you like that, ne?"

Nanjiroh actually had the audacity to scoff at the remark. Ryoga felt anger surge through him, but he bit it down. He wasn't here for this.

"Merry Christmas Nanjiroh" he could bring himself to address him as father, not that he was much of a father to him in any case.

Nanjiroh just nodded.

Anyone looking from the outside could see a picture perfect family of a father sitting with his two sons for a dinner on Christmas Eve. The older of the two boys was teasing the younger brother about something, while he whined about it to his father who in turn chided his oldest son. A young woman was laughing softly at the scene while serving them all dinner. She was too young to be their mother.

"Ne, Ryoma what did he get you for your birthday?"

"We played a tennis match"

"And for Christmas?"

"We will play again tomorrow morning" he answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world to play tennis as a gift to someone. For the two samurais though, it probably was.

Ryoma was delighted by the presents he received from Ryoga. He mentally calculated how long would the forty cans of the fizzy drink last. One week at the most, he deduced. For Christmas, he received a new tennis racquet from his father, new shoes from his brother while his cousin gave him a gift voucher to a sports store. Nanjiroh received a set of strings for his racquet from Ryoma and a beige sweater from Nanako. Ryoga had simply gotten him a tennis charm for his car. He was pleased by the sensible gift his youngest son had given him. Ryoga bought Nanako a simple chain and pendant set and was relieved to see her like her gift. Ryoma had bought Ryoga a dozen oranges and it amused Ryoga to no end. Nanako was more sensible than his Chibusuke and presented him with an iPod. It was already filled with his favourite artists.

"How did you know my preference?"

"You told me last year. I remembered"

"Thank you."

His father had grunted and taken out his wallet opening it and closing it again before pressing five hundred dollar bills into his hands and telling him to buy whatever he wanted since he didn't know what to buy

_Maybe if you had bothered to get to know me, you would know what to buy for your oldest son, dad_

As they sat down for coffee after all the present opening, the topic inevitably led to tennis. Again.

"You know I beat that Kevin Smith again oyaji"

His father laughed boisterously and patted Ryoma's back

"Now that's my son"

_I am graduating from college this year dad on the top of my class. Aren't you proud your son is going to become a lawyer from an Ivy League? _

"You should learn from your brother Ryoga"

Ryoga did not bother to reply to his dad's insensitive remark. Anything he said, it would leave both of them in a bitter mood in the end. He sipped his coffee, turning his attention to the girl in front of him.

"Nanako, how is Tokyo Medical coming along?"

"It's fine. It's interesting. What about you? Yale Law is certainly not easy"

"Yes, it certainly isn't the easiest thing to do but I will be graduating this year"

"Congratulations. I hope you will be inviting me to your graduation?"

"Of course. Though I have to warn you, people will keep pestering to be introduced to the pretty damsel that I have brought along with me. We lawyers can be very persuasive in putting our point forward you know"

Nanako laughed at his remark. At least she seemed to be the only one interested in his life.

Ryoga knew there had been a time when his father didn't hate him, his mother had been alive and they all had lived together. Rinko wasn't his biological mother but Nanjiroh was his biological father. He had never known who his biological mother was but all through his life, Rinko had filled in the role of a mother perfectly. Even though he was the living, breathing proof of her husband's infidelity, he had never been treated any different by her. "It's never about the genes or blood that tie two people in any relationship" she often said. Nanjiroh too loved him, coached him in tennis until Ryoma was born, who was a natural in the sport. While Ryoga had to practice each stroke, each shot and each movement of his, Ryoma was a true prodigy as he effortlessly challenged his father at his own game. By the time Ryoga was fourteen, things had already started to strain between his father and him but Rinko had been able to salvage her family. It was exciting to see his father play but seeing his mother, confident, in the courtroom gave him a thrill that tennis didn't. Still he tried to be a tennis player for his father but by now, he was too occupied in coaching Ryoma. The final blow came when he had been accepted into the law school four years ago, destroying any chances of being a tennis pro. His mother had died a few years later but not before making him promise to try harder. He had moved away from his house and chose to stay in the college dorms while the father and son travelled to Japan. He had kept in touch with his mother and inquired about Ryoma frequently.

"He is a carbon-copy of Nanjiroh" she had said.

But all this was in the past that was too distant to remember and too painful to be forgotten.

A/N: This was written in a sudden fit of inspiration. As always, review. Suggestions, constructive criticism, feedbacks are always appreciated very much. Still debating to whether to leave this as a one-shot or make it a multi-chapter story. Help me through your reviews to decide, ne?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer for the earlier chapter and for all subsequent chapters of this story, I don't own Prince of Tennis since I am not Takeshi Konomi.

A/N: I really didn't have the heart to leave it as a one-shot so I continued the story. While it may seem to be filled with a lot of introspection, I am just setting the stage for the story so bear with it. Anyways, thank you to all my readers.

-Enjie.

Previously on Band of Brothers:

He knocked on the door. In all honesty, he had come to dread these visits in the past few years.

Nanako laughed at his remark. At least she seemed to be the only one interested in his life.

Ryoga knew there had been a time when his father didn't hate him, his mother had been alive and they all had lived together. But all this was in the past that was too distant to remember and too painful to be forgotten.

To the story then...

Band of Brothers-Chapter 2: Late Nights

Ryoga looked around him. There was a sea of colours as students moved about, talking to their friends, shaking hands with their teachers, and catching up with some people who were from different course than themselves. Graduation ceremony at any university was a big affair but at Yale, things were huge. Ryoga was graduating earlier than his classmates because he already had more than enough credits to his name. He looked over to the stands were proud parents were waving, laughing and most were holding a video recorder in their hands, ready to capture their child's biggest dream coming true. He looked further and spotted the three seats that had been reserved by him. Nanako waived to him and Ryoma tipped his cap. The seat where Nanjiroh Echizen was printed on paper and stuck to the chair remained empty. He really hadn't expected any more than this. At least his siblings were kind enough to come at all, all the way from Japan.

The ceremony had lasted for the good part of the day and then he was offered by different people to come to their party. He declined all of them. When he saw the fathers boast about their children's achievements to their relatives while the mother looked over fondly, Ryoga it was a scene that would not be witnessed at his home. He had already cleared out his college dorm and had bought his first apartment at the age of twenty-three near to the law firm that he would be working in shortly.

The three Echizens made their way over to the said apartment. Nanako had gotten him a leather bound diary with a soft silver lining around the edges. Ryoma had bought him oranges from the local supermarket. His brother, still as bratty as ever.

"Uncle sends his apologies for not being able to make it to your graduation Ryoga-san. Something important came up."

_What could be more important than his son's graduation in a retired tennis professional's life?_

"Anyways he sends this for you" she handed him a white envelope which had a check written for two thousand five hundred dollars.

"He couldn't even send a congratulatory note?"

"I am sure there must be a reason for it. Please don't be upset"

_And we all know the reason for that, don't we? It's because I chose not to be a tennis player._

Even if his sister and brother were able to join him, they were on a strict time schedule as she needed to go to class the following day and Ryoma couldn't afford to slack off from his training. He would be making his first grand slam appearance later in the year and not even Ponta could make him shut up about it.

If Ryoga had known this would be the last time he would see his brother happy in a long time, he wouldn't have allowed Ryoma go out for a late night jog.

Ryoma stepped out of his brother's apartment because he desperately needed to get away from all the forced cheerfulness. He knew his father had thrown away Ryoga's invitation almost as soon as he had received it and Ryoma had found it while emptying the trash can. Nanako agreed that they should be with him on his big day. After a lot of shouting on both father and son's part, he had purchased tickets for the next flight out of Japan. He didn't exactly like his brother, since he knew so little about him. His brother had run away from home when Ryoma was just seven and had forgotten about him until they met on the cruise ship six years later. He was disgusted to know that his brother had agreed to play in fixed matches; he had even loathed thinking that he was related to him. He later learned from Ryoga the true reason behind his treachery. While he worked double shifts and his mother helped him financially, he was still a couple of thousand short for his tuition fees. No bank was willing to loan him the money considering that his father had refused to back him up. So in desperate times he had to take up the agreement to pay for college. While he didn't know his brother all that well, he knew it was wrong of his father to hate him just because he had made his own choices.

As much as Ryoma loved tennis, he couldn't bring himself to hate someone who didn't. Everyone was entitled to make their choices after all but apparently it was not so if you where the son of Samurai Nanjiroh. All his life he had picked up tennis by imitating his father, his goal and reason to pick up the racquet became to defeat his father. That was until Tezuka Kunimitsu, Seigaku's tennis team captain had convinced him otherwise. Now he played tennis to truly enjoy the sport, the thrill of the incoming ball and the exhilaration on scoring a point against the some of the best players of Japan. He continued to jog around the streets of his childhood, thinking of his brother who was 'adopted' into the family (the thought itself was contradictory in his mind), his mother who had died right in his arms and his perverted father. Even he was often downright rude to the old man, felt compassion towards his brother but he could not bring himself to hate him. So he continued to jog, hoping the traffic would drown out all the voices in his head.

As much as Ryoga tried to be cheerful for the sake of his cousin, he knew he was fooling no one. Now that Ryoma was out of the apartment, he could let some of his mask slip. Nanako was after all only a year younger to him and was the closest relative to his age.

"Ne, Ryoga-san if I may be so rude to ask, why did you run away from home?"

"I was doing my mother a favour by doing so"

"How were you doing aunty Rinko a favour?"

"She was sick of me and Nanjiroh fitting. She tried to plead with him, got angry but nothing could stop him and I have to agree I wasn't helping things much by shouting back at him. I tried to be the tennis player he could be proud of, but even he knew I wasn't trying my best. As much as I wanted to, still I knew I would never reach the heights that he did or what Ryoma can achieve. Of course after Ryoma was born, things started to deteriorate between him and me. I couldn't stand to be in a house where tennis was the air and water of survival, so I ran away. It wasn't one of the smartest choices I ever made, but that time it seemed like the right thing to do"

"It definitely wasn't the smartest choice but it was the right one"

He looked at his cousin with something akin to wonder. All his life people had told him that running away was never the answer but she seemed to understand why he had to make that choice.

"When you were running away, you weren't doing it a sudden fit of teenage rebellion. You ran away because it was holding you from pursuing your own dreams, it was weighing you down, that is why I say you were right but I still wouldn't exactly preach this method to others"

"I wouldn't either Nanako."

Ryoma came across the street courts where he had had his first victory. At that time tennis was something that brought him childish pleasure. As he grew up the pleasure was replaced by a burning desire to win. Even now he hated losing but in the end what mattered to him was that he had played without regrets.


	3. Chapter 3

Review Reply: **Zenbon Zakura: **(Authoress is amused) I spoke to Ryoga and he is very pleased with your comment. He said he would like to know you too. So here is his phone number-XXXXXXX007. Have fun!

**Gimmefood** : I hope this chapter clears things...somewhat...Don't flame me for it though!

Thank you for all the reviews...Really appreciated. And to all readers, here is the next chapter.

-Enjie

Previously on Band of Brothers:

"It definitely wasn't the smartest choice but it was the right one"

He looked at his cousin with something akin to wonder. All his life people had told him that running away was never the answer but she seemed to understand why he had to make that choice.

If Ryoga had known this would be the last time he would see his brother happy in a long time, he wouldn't have allowed Ryoma go out for a late night jog.

Ryoma came across the street courts where he had had his first victory. At that time tennis was something that brought him childish pleasure. As he grew up the pleasure was replaced by a burning desire to win. Even now he hated losing but in the end what mattered to him was that he had played without regrets.

To the Story then...

Band of Brothers-Chapter 3: No matter how far you run, the past will always catch up.

Ryoma Echizen sat stonily before the red telephone on the table. He couldn't stop his hand from shaking, from rage or dread, he remained largely undecided. The words kept replaying in his mind

"We have Nanako. Meet us at The Park at 8 p.m. come alone"

They had his sister and he was asked to meet them just one day before the finals of the Grand Slam. He sighed, and picked up his jacket and made to leave the house. There were forty five minutes until eight but he welcomed the time to clear his mind of unnecessary thoughts. As he walked on to the solitary road, he dreaded the moment he came before them.

Ryoga leaned back on his chair, rubbing his temples. Just how did that guy ever manage to become a lawyer? He had started working in a reputed law firm of New York right after graduation three months ago and had been asking himself the same question again and again. His senior, Jason Ronald treated him more like a secretary than an apprentice, asking him to get his coffee, watch his back when he went on secret escapades with his mistress. In the last three months nothing he had learnt at Yale Law had been put to use. He could probably have done whatever he was doing now without having to go to college. But it was a reputed law firm and Ryoga kept telling himself just a little while more and he could be on his own. With that reassuring thought, he opened his eyes and found the looming face of the said senior too close for his comfort. He abruptly jolted forward and gave himself a nasty collision with man. Hey, watch it newbie. You might want to watch the news. Your half-brother is making headlines again."

"Thank you for telling me"

Ryoga, with renewed energy, logged on to the webpage of a local news channel and watched as Ryoma gave a press conference to the media, who had collected in the conference hall of the hotel in a hurried manner when the prince announced he had news to share. Ryoma was apparently participating in a private tournament hosted by one of the biggest tycoon of Japan, none other than Sakurafubuki, CEO of Japan Industries.

He picked up his cellular phone off the desk in a manner that rather threatened the existence of the phone and dialled a number he seldom called.

"Echizen" his point had been conveyed he knew it, when he had used his and the boy's common last name but to leave no room for misinterpretation, he decided to elaborate.

"Just what were you thinking when you decided to play for _him?_" even after all the years, he couldn't keep the menace and the loathing out of his voice.

"You stay out of this Ryoga. You don't even know how to hold a racquet so don't you dare tell me which tournaments I should play and in which I shouldn't. Now I suggest you stop wasting my time, get off the phone and go back to doing whatever menial tasks that you do"

With that the cocky Prince of Tennis hung up on his brother.

Ryoma held his phone in his hands long after he had hung up. A single tear escaped his eyes and he wiped of the traitorous droplet from his cheek. He handed the phone back to Sakurafubuki's men and they exited but not before locking his room and depositing the key with the head of security. Ryoma was locked in the most secure prison in the world.

Ryoga held his phone in his hands long after his brother had hung up on him. But he could not get angry at Ryoma. While he certainly could hold a racquet and play fairly decently, his knowledge of the pro tennis world was sadly limited to his father. But he knew Sakurafubuki and that man never travelled with any good news. If Ryoma was unwilling to listen to sense, he would call up person who could make him do. He waited as the phone rang twice, thrice and then four times. He was beginning to get impatient until the man answered with hollowed expression, his voice devoid of any emotion, not even his usual perverted giggles.

"Ryoga I need to see you. It's about Ryoma."

"I will be there as soon as I can"

He hung up, handed in his resignation and was out of New York by lunch time.

The stewardess made to leave the plane, after making sure all the passengers had exited before her. She walked up the aisle and stopped when she found a young man of Asian features and black-green hair asleep. She shook his shoulders gently and he awoke, said his thanks and hurried out of the plane on to the tarmac of the airport without as much as a single glance at her. She sighed. He had been handsome after all. _C'est la vie_ she thought and finally stepped on to the tarmac herself.

Ryoga hurried through the busy streets of Tokyo at seven o'clock in the evening. Well, he hurried as much as he could, sitting in a cab, that was sitting on the lanes of Tokyo due to insane amount of traffic. It had taken him twenty minutes just to move three kilometres. He got out of the cab, paid the driver in USD, too impatient to look for Japanese change and decided to walk to his place.

The house was exactly as he remembered it from his brief stay in Japan all those years ago. The name plate, the trees remained unchanged. The name plate boasted the owner's name in two languages, Japanese and below in English. He unlocked the gate and rang the bell twice at the main door. Unlike a young woman answering the door as expected, an old man stood before him, smoking a cigarette and wearing dirty dishevelled monk robes. Any traces of his former self had vanished and before him stood a man who had seen the darker side of humanity.

"Seishounen" the man greeted in between fit of cough

"I am here" the young lawyer replied back.

A/N: Why certain things are happening will be revealed in the later chapters...still wondering if this story should have a happy ending or not...Review please? (Authoress looks at people with hopeful eyes)


	4. Chapter 4

This is a side fic to the main plot. Some of the scenes are explained in this that was not very clear in the main story line. This side fic will also give you more insight into why some things are happening.

Enjoy!

-Enjie

Side Fic 1:

Ryoma walked through The Park, his hands in his pockets. He was feeling particularly cold despite the relatively warm weather at this time of the hour. He saw two bulky men standing near the assigned place. He checked his watch. He was right on time.

Before he had a chance to walk further, one of the men noticed him and swiftly, despite their bulkiness, they closed the area in between. They were professionals, that much was apparent.

As they walked closer, dread bubbled up in Ryoma's chest but he suppressed it down.

"Where is Nanako?"

"All in the good time, boy."

"Answer me!" Ryoma screamed

"Your sister is on a medical tour to Kyushu at the moment. If you had bothered to call home you would know."

"You bastards!"

"It really was too easy to lure you here"

"Yarou" Ryoma swung his fist but the second man held it easily.

"Boy, listen to us. You will do exactly as we say and no one will be harmed. We do have men in Kyushu at the moment, which on my command will move in and you will never see the lady again."

"You are going to hold a press conference tomorrow after the match, and tell them that you are participating in Japan Industries Tennis Tournament. Till you play tennis, your sister will be safe. You lose one match and that would mean the end of your sister. Do you understand?"

"What is in it for you if I play tennis?"

"You ask too many questions. Shut up"

"Answer me"

The taller of the two men walked forward and slapped Ryoma, and instantly a sinister sound of bone breaking reached his ears. The man smiled in delight and walked away.

Tears coursed down Ryoma's eyes. The one he loved the most was becoming a curse for him.

Tennis was tearing his family apart and there was nothing he could do except play some more tennis.


	5. Chapter 5

A/n: The setting is changing in this chapter as Ryoga takes a back seat but not entirely. In this chapter, some other characters are introduced. I know it is pretty late to be introducing characters but bear with it and the next chapter is entirely Ryoga and Nanjiroh based. So be kind!

Review Reply:

**Ethan: ***Authoress is dancing in glee* Welcome to Prince of Tennis fanfiction. Thank you for your lovely review and I hope this story will continue to hold your attention. Again, three cheers for you!

**This chapter is dedicated to "Gimmefood" who has shown loyal support to this story. Thanks.**

**Mini Drama::**

**Ryoga**: hey there Gimmefood. Thanks for your reviews. Yes, I do love Ryoma even if he is too thick-headed to notice it.

**Ryoma**: Baka aniki. No need to give him so much attention. He doesn't even play tennis.

**Ryoga**: Yes but I did graduate from Yale, a year earlier than the rest. Surely, that tells something about my analytical skills?

**Ryoma**: Still, you will always be mada mada compared to me. If anyone deserves attention, it's me. Got it, Gimmefood and Zenbon Zakura?"

**End of mini drama.**

- Enjie

Previously on Band of Brothers:

The words kept replaying in his mind.

We have Nanako. Meet us at the park at eight p.m. Come alone."

Ryoma was apparently participating in a private tournament hosted by one of the biggest tycoon of Japan, none other than Sakurafubuki, CEO of Japan Industries.

"You stay out of this Ryoga. You don't even know how to hold a racquet so don't you dare tell me which tournaments I should play and in which I shouldn't. Now I suggest you stop wasting my time, get off the phone and go back to doing whatever menial tasks that you do"

With that the cocky Prince of Tennis hung up on his brother.

"Seishounen," the man greeted in between fit of cough

"I am here," the young lawyer replied back.

To the story then...

Chapter 4:

"Oranges heal wounds inflicted by time," as said by a very prominent lawyer named Ryoga Echizen.

Atobe marvelled at his perfect self in the tall mirror. His pale complexion, his eyes and his hair were all perfect, even the tear mole under his right eye. He changed into casual clothing, today being his day off from school and tennis practice. Atobe Keigo, heir to the Global Industries, walked towards the dining hall, still lost in the thoughts of a certain black-green haired prodigy. He, like Ryoma Echizen, had been pursuing the profession of a tennis player. But it had a catch. He was allowed to play professionally only until he turned twenty-one, the legal age when he would inherit Global Industries from his father, Atobe Kiri. He already had numerous tutors from the Queen's College of Business teaching him things he had learned from his father at the age of eleven. But the procedures had to be followed and the Atobes never gave anyone a chance to point fingers at them.

He had been invited to play in the private tennis tournament and the invitation was lying on his desk, awaiting confirmation.

Tezuka Kunimitsu and Fuji Syusuke were out shopping for new tennis gears as the old ones were quite worn out after the friendly matches against Rikkai Dai College. They never ever took any match as 'friendly.' They went all out and naturally, Seigaku, not the one to back down from any challenge, had gone all out. The result was total destruction: endless tennis balls, snapped racquet strings, some painful abrasions, but no casualties thankfully.

Ne, Tezuka are you planning to join the tournament?"

"The one sponsored by Sakurafubuki?"

"Yes, that very one. After all, Echizen will be there."

"I do not trust that man. You know what happened on the cruise ship."

"All the more reason we need to go. Ever since Ryoma became a professional we haven't had a chance to see him and he is not very big on e-mails either. If Ryoma is there, the least we can do is be there and keep an eye on things. And we'd be lying if we said we didn't miss having an opponent like Echizen."

"I was surprised when he announced he was participating. Something is not right," Tezuka said; his longest sentence for the day.

"So we are in agreement. We'll inform the others."

"Aa."

Sanada Genichiroh and Yukimura Seichi were sipping tea with Yanagi Renji and his friend Inui Sadaharu.

"Renji why did you..."

"Why did I join the tournamrnt, isn't that what you were going to say? I joined because it felt like the right to do after graduating from Rikkai Dai High School. Buchou and fukubuchou were going there too. Isn't that what you did too? " it was a rhetoric question to which he already knew the answer to.

"That doesn't answer my question but there is a sixty seven percent chance that the answer is hidden in this."

"You are 100 percent correct doctor."

"Of course after all you introduced me to data collecting, professor"

"There was a hundred percent chance that you were going to say that. There is fifty percent chance that we will always be friends and rivals."

Ah, data could never predict the heart.

Sanada's cell phone beeped indicating a new message had been received.

_From Kirihara Akaya_

_Ne, Sanada-kun, messaging to confirm my acceptance. But Marui-kun and Jackal-san can't come to America. Just letting you know._

_Take care._

Of course the message wasn't as sophisticated and was riddled with enough spelling mistakes to give any teacher a headache.

"Yukimura, Kirihara has confirmed. That makes the five of us- you, me, Yanagi, Inui and now Kirihara."

"Also, Tezuka and Fuji have confirmed too," Inui added.

"Don't you think it will be interesting to play against all of them, and Echizen too?" Yukimura smiled serenely while Yanagi and Inui muttered simultaneously

"The possibility of mental trauma due to Yukimura: - 100%"

Tachibana looked on as his vice-captain Kamio, Shinji, Ann and Momoshiro Takeshi of Seigaku were involved in a four-way conversation in the street tennis courts. Shinji kept on muttering about "racquet grip" and "Echizen" while Kamio Akira and Momoshiro kept grabbing at each other's collars and sprouting language that so colourful that was making Ann go red in the face. The redness could be due to Momoshiro's presence too.

"I will beat you in the tournament."

"Not till I live, you bike-thief."

"For the last time," Momoshiro screamed, "I am not a bike-thief"

"Shut up Momoshiro."

"Oi, mamushi what are you doing here?"

"Was training. You all were too loud."

"What were you training for mamushi?"

"Idiot, for the Japan Tennis Tournament of course." Kaidoh hissed.

"So glad you will be joining us, Kaidoh-san. Looking forward to playing against you."

"Same here Tachibana-san."

"We need to take our leave. Ann needs to be home by seven. Come on, Kamio, you can let go of Momoshiro's shirt collar now."

The said four departed from the tennis court in the general direction of their homes and in the distance, Shinji could be heard muttering something, Tachibana sighing, Ann laughing, Kamio trying to get Shinji to shut up and failing miserably and Kaidoh and Momoshiro bickering.

...

Oishi tried to balance the mountain of toothpaste on his arms. He and Eiji had come to the mall to play some video games but Eiji got distracted by the supermarket on the way and decided to go toothpaste shopping.

"Eiji." He sighed as the said red-head continued to fling boxes towards him.

"Nya, Oishi I can't decide," he said holding up two cartons. One was tropical fruit flavoured while the other was strawberry.

"Get the tropical flavoured one. You like it better."

"Yosh, thanks Oishi. You know me so well."

"Well we are the Golden Pair aren't we?"

"So true!" Eiji chimed. Eiji and Oishi went to different colleges now. Oishi had joined Tezuka and Fuji in the Seigaku College while Eiji was studying to be a vet at Rokkau College. Even though they were no longer on the same team when they played tennis, they were the Golden pair, undefeatable in doubles, having achieved synchro in the last year of junior high. And they were going to be the Golden Pair again in the Japan Industries Tennis Tournament.

This was a normal day in the lives of these exceptionally talented tennis players.

Yet all was not well in the Echizen household.

Ryoga held his cheek where his father had just delivered a blow. It particularly hurt since he had not been prepared for such an outcome and eventuality. But he could not really blame his father. It had been his fault that Ryoma was missing for the last thirty hours and Nanjiroh had just received a letter from Japan Industries inviting Ryoga Echizen to play.

_It is because of you that Ryoma is being held captive at the moment and for ransom they want you to participate. It's a lost cause already. I can't believe even you were capable of doing this to your brother. _

Then he had struck Ryoga with his hand, callused from years of playing tennis. What Ryoga said next didn't help much either

_Let the police handle this. If they really have Ryoma, they will find him._

_Isn't it clearly stated that there is to be no involvement from police or else_

Nanjiroh's voice cracked in the end. The "_Ryoma will die" _remained unspoken.

_I have read about kidnapping cases in law school. It is best if we involve them._

_And stand a risk of losing Ryoma? Never. If you have an ounce of sense of responsibility in you, you will play in this tournament and bring Ryoma back. Do you understand?_

_I understand. It is because of me that Sakurafubuki has got Ryoma now. I will do everything in my power to bring him back to you._

_Your training begins tomorrow at five sharp._

_Yes._

_Ryoga rubbed his cheek and went to Ryoma's and his old room, a single tear escaping his eyes, soon followed by others._

_Ryoma...Forgive me._

_Ryoga... _thought Ryoma at the same time. _I am sorry._

A/n: My ex beta reader pointed it out to me that I tend to make Ryoga suffer a lot and make my characters quite the villains...I guess I can't help torture him a little bit but rest assured, Ryoga will find his happiness. How? Haven't decided but I am getting to it. Any suggestions and/or feedbacks are greatly welcomed and appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sincere thanks to Mystic Legend 11. You are awesome. **

Previously on Band of Brothers:

Atobe marvelled at his perfect self in the tall mirror. He had been invited to play in the private tennis tournament and the invitation was lying on his desk, awaiting confirmation.

Ne, Tezuka are you planning to join the tournament?"

"Aa."

"Yukimura, Kirihara has confirmed. That makes the five of us- you, me, Yanagi, Inui and now Kirihara."

"So glad you will be joining us, Kaidoh-san. Looking forward to playing against you."

"Same here Tachibana-san."

And they were going to be the Golden Pair again in the Japan Industries Tennis Tournament.

Ryoga held his cheek where his father had just delivered a blow.

_I understand. It is because of me that Sakurafubuki has got Ryoma now. I will do everything in my power to bring him back to you._

_Your training begins tomorrow at five sharp._

To the story then...

Ryoga lay on his bed, tears silently coursing down his cheeks. His past had come back to bite him and his brother. He had no idea what Sakurafubuki wanted from him but whatever it was, he would not let him touch his younger brother. Anger bubbled up in his chest and he seethed at the thought of Ryoma's captivator. He wiped the last of his tears, resolving to fight and at last sleep came to him, peaceful and serene, where none of his problems were weighing down on him.

He was up at four-thirty and had showered, before meeting his father and trainer in the family backyard that had been converted in to an all condition tennis court. His father was dressed in his regular monk robes and no shoes as usual. But there was something in the way he stood, his body language and the way he gripped his racquet that reminded Ryoga that his father was a legend in the tennis world.

"We run five miles followed a hundred push-ups but first some stretching exercises to warm up. Begin!" he commanded.

Ryoga sat on the court with his legs stretched out in front. Ryoga tried to touch his toes, while touching his forehead to his knees. His father applied gentle pressure on his shoulder blades, pushing him further towards the ground. Then he did shoulder rotation, hip rotation and some feet and wrist rotations before joining Nanjiroh for a jog around the neighbourhood of his childhood.

Ryoga was panting and sweating heavily by the time he had finished his jog and his push-ups while Nanjiroh looked like he had just gotten out of bed with only a hint of irregular breath.

He tossed a ball on the ground, while holding his racquet in his left hand. He threw the ball upwards, bent back and executed the perfect Twist Serve.

15-0. It was a no-touch ace.

Again the Twist Serve.

30-0.

Twist Serve again and this time Ryoga's racquet connected with the neon orb and he rallied it towards the other court. Before he got into the receiving position, the ball flew past his ear and landed with a soft _plok_ behind him.

40-0.

A normal high-speed serve hit the court, but the ball met the full impact of Ryoga's service return, allowing him to drag out the point into a rally. A powerful cross-shot resonated from his strings, but the old man still nicked it in time using the explosive sprint of the Split Steps, and lobbed it wide to buy himself some time. Ryoga responded with a smash. The next moment, the ball rolled to Ryoga's ankle by a perfectly timed drop shot.

One game is to love. Change court.

Ryoga clutched the ball firmly before throwing it into air and executing a serve similar to Tezuka's-normal but high-speed and lethal to anyone but Nanjiroh. He cleanly returned the ball, without using any special technique. He was testing and drawing Ryoga out. When it came to long rallies, Ryoga was sure he would lose and thus used a technique that he had seen years ago and had been fascinated. It was the sheer surprise of seeing the technique that cost Nanjiroh the point.

15-0.

He held his own while Nanjiroh shifted from defensive to offensive and all Ryoga could do was just hit the ball over the net.

15 all.

15-30.

15-40.

2 games to love.

Ryoga wiped the sweat from his face as the sun continued to beat down on them. It was nearly noon when they finished one set. Nanjiroh had won 6-2 but Ryoga had put up a good fight.

He ran for a mile to cool down, all the while Nanjiroh offered his criticism.

"You are out of form, you bend your knees too much, and you need to increase your speed, jumping power and your concentration in the game."

"Yes."

"Even though they are only going to be one set matches, the other players are at nearly professional level. We need to work on multiple areas and we only have three weeks to fix you."

_Fix me?_ That stung and Ryoga remained silent while Nanjiroh continued to downplay Ryoga's performance.

They had two more sets after lunch and a short break before they worked out in a nearby gym to build upper body strength and his stamina. Ryoga was ordered to go bed at ten o'clock sharp. As Ryoga slid into the covers, he prayed to whoever was out there to watch over his brother.

Ryoma dumped his fork uncharacteristically onto the plate. He was at a private tennis training facility where he was made to work, eat and sleep according to some sheets of paper. He had been assured that expert nutritionists and trainers were catering to him and thus the pathetic dinner of some green vegetables floating in what he supposed was water with fish and raw eggs.

_Damn it_ he thought _I won the grand slam eating the good old rice and grilled fish._

It was true that he had access to some of the best equipment and gym facility, but he was trapped. As far he could tell from his little bedroom window, the entire compound was heavily guarded at all times and he was free to do anything but maintain communication with the outside world. He realised what it meant to be a bird held captive in a golden cage. He longed to play tennis with his father and former team mates at an age when it was played for the sheer thrill and excitement the sport offered. Slowly, that was disappearing and in its place a world filled with competition, politics and deception overwhelmed everything else. He sighed and attempted to brave just one more spoon of the green goo. Even Inui's crazy juices tasted better.

...

Ryoga's breathing was irregular as he stood in position to receive the ball. It came at him like a bullet, but his eyes had gotten used to the speed over the last two and a half weeks. He returned the shot, doubling the amount of spin on it. Nanjiroh returned it, all spins nullified. He had been waiting for it. Ryoga let the ball glide across the racquet head, before sending it flying across the other side of net with a sudden boost of adrenaline. Nanjiroh fumbled and the ball hit the net.

15-0.

Ryoga smiled and Nanjiroh frowned at his racquet.

He tossed the ball, arched back and hit the ball with so much spin and power that the ball glided across the other end of the court, without bouncing back up. Unknown to him, he had just executed one of the best and most complicated serves – Tannhauser Serve.

30-0.

This time it was a normal serve, meant to confuse the opponent. But it didn't fool Nanjiroh. He hit a lob and Ryoga smashed it. Nanjiroh returned it normally and Ryoga smashed it again. This went on until Ryoga unexpectedly hit a drop shot.

40-0.

His body was covered in sweat and it was trickling down his temple, his cheeks and down his throat but he paid no heed to it. The last 18 days had been gruelling but they certainly paid off as Nanjiroh fumbled against his twenty-three year old son. He continued to make silly mistakes in his play but he was falling into Ryoga's trap. As a lawyer, he had analytical skills and his profession required him to form strategies as well think on his feet if necessary and he was employing his best skills into tennis.

His father's experience pulled him off but even he knew it was close. Much too close for his comfort.

Nanjiroh had won 7-5 after winning 66-64 in a prolonged tie-break.

They ran again to cool down but Nanjiroh did not comment anything about the game.

Ryoga thought back on the last few weeks and realised how much his life had changed. He had quit his job, came all the way across to Japan for his half-brother and trained under a father who had treated him with indifference ever since he was ten; the year Ryoma had picked up a racquet and showed who the real prodigy was. But Ryoga was Nanjiroh's son after all and played tennis if inspired enough to do so. Ryoma had given him the incentive to pick up a racquet again. He had come a long way since his last day in New York. Two days, and it was show time. Ryoga grinned.

A/n: Done with this chapter at last and can finally start with the tournaments. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and could actually picture the scenes. I have been told that my stories tell rather than show what's happening and I hope I am improving. A million thanks for all the reviews and I am open to any suggestion or feedback. Give me your ideas if you want any particular pairings and I'll try my best to incorporate it into the story. Until next time...


	7. Caught

Previously on Band of Brothers:

Ryoga lay on his bed, tears silently coursing down his cheeks. His past had come back to bite him and his brother.

But there was something in the way he stood, his body language, and the way he gripped his racquet that reminded Ryoga that his father was a legend in the tennis world.

_Fix me?_ That stung and Ryoga remained silent while Nanjiroh continued to downplay Ryoga's performance.

As a lawyer, he had analytical skills and his profession required him to form strategies as well think on his feet if necessary and he was employing his best skills into tennis.

His father's experience pulled him off but even he knew it was close. Much too close for his comfort.

Two days, and it was show time. Ryoga grinned.

To the story then...

Chapter 6:

The sun was setting when he first arrived in New York. Ryoga gripped his tennis bag tightly and blinked when the cameras started flashing in front of his eyes. His participation in the tennis tournament had caused much speculation. An unknown figure in the tennis world, The Prince of Tennis' brother and the illegitimate son of the Samurai Nanjiroh—his past had already made him famous among the media. They had gotten hold of the fact that he had run away, played for Sakurafubuki before and disappeared from the tennis world and emerged as a lawyer from Yale University making him instantly a topic of conversation among the tennis fans and a target for the media.

Ryoga looked outside the window as he sat in the backseat, drumming his fingers against the seat of the taxi. He was being taken to a private sports facility where in two days the world would see a curious mix of tennis players, both professionals and amateurs battling on the clay courts. Ryoga closed his eyes and remembered his mother.

He was six years old and he held his mom's hand as she lay dying in a hospital as breast cancer overwhelmed her fragile frame. Nanjiroh had come forward to adopt him and he came to be known as Ryoga Echizen but when he thought of mother, Rinko's soft and beautiful face came to his mind. He was the living and breathing proof of his father's infidelity and yet Rinko never blamed him. To her, Ryoga and Ryoma were equals and her sons. And for that, Ryoga was eternally grateful. Japan was home to him because Rinko used to be there but since her death (again due to breast cancer), he was confused. He lived in New York, but it wasn't home.

Subconsciously, his thoughts went to his father and to the last day he had spent in Japan. Nanjiroh had dropped him off at the airport and had remained silent throughout the ride. As they got off, Nanjiroh called out, opened his mouth but no words would come out. He tried again.

_I want my son back._

_I will try my best._

But there was something about the way he stood and the emotion that was just barely there in his eyes that suggested that he was for once not referring to Ryoma. Ryoga was too afraid to hope.

The taxi jerked to an abrupt halt outside the gleaming white building and three men in white uniform stood in attention.

"Welcome to the All Japan Tennis Tournament," one of them greeted. The other two came forward to take his luggage from him.

"These will reach your room safely. Now time for the tour!" exclaimed the happy voice again.

"There is no need for the tour. I know this place. Just take me to my room." Indeed he knew this place.

When he had agreed to play for Sakurafubuki, he and his team had come here to train every day. This building housed his nightmare and he stepped right into it again after seven years.

He distinctly remembered this building. The gleaming white walls and the stainless steel window panes. This was the only way to describe it. He turned a corner and then another and stood before the mundane monochrome door. His old room. Freshly stencilled in black, the plate displayed his name that he had used on the courts so many years ago—Ryan.

It was all like a cruel joke really. Ryoga often thought he would wake up and this would be a dream but he did wake from such a supposed slumber and it remained the harsh reality of his life. The room had two beds, which previously his vice-captain and friend had occupied. A fleeting thought to Jason's whereabouts passed through his mind, but the moment was gone as quickly as it came and he set his luggage on the bed nearer to the window. He looked out and as far as his eyes could see, the vast expanse of the facility stretched before him. A mild sense of claustrophobia enveloped him but he pushed it down.

As soon as he had arrived he had asked for his brother but he was told that the other participants would arrive by dinner and Ryoma would meet him directly on the day of the tournament. He was concerned for his brother, yes, but he was doing all he could and he could only wait. He decided to take a quick shower to wash of all the sweat and stickiness before taking a nap.

Tezuka had arrived a few minutes ago and after receiving clear instructions from the floor manager, he went in the direction of his room. It was time for dinner and he hoped a shower would help him feel better and ease some of his tiredness.

He opened the door, and the figure sprawled before him reminded him so much of a certain young tennis prodigy that he could stop himself before the word Echizen came out of his mouth, waking the young man up.

Ryoga rubbed his eyes and looked around for the source for the disturbance of his sleep. A certain brunette was eyeing him sceptically.

"Hello?"

Now as he looked closer, wasn't he Chibusuke's tennis captain? Tezura something...

"Sorry to disturb you Echizen-san."

"Doesn't matter. It's time for dinner anyways. Also, call me Ryan. Echizen-san is too confusing."

The tall boy nodded once and set his luggage on the other bed in the room. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Ryan shuffle out of the room groggily.

"So we meet again," thought Kunimitsu before taking out his towel and heading in the direction of the bathroom.

Ryoga picked his food and pushed it around, sighing. He was sitting at the dinner table with 15 other tennis players, all of them younger to him by four years or more, and they were staring at him. They had been staring at him for the last fifteen minutes that he had been sitting at the table and he didn't reckon they would be stopping any time soon.

He had expected it, having met Seigaku before on the cruise ship but apparently rumours had spread.

Ryoga pushed the chair back roughly and it almost toppled before he turned around and caught it with his hand. Two maids ran forward to hold it for him.

"Echizen-sama, please stay for dinner," One of the maid exclaimed.

"I am done here but thank you just the same." A few on the table understood what he said in fluent English.

He remembered there used to be this court that was never used just behind the gym. He had often practiced there and to let some of the steam off. He found himself needing it again—the release for the all the pent of frustration of having a missing brother, playing tennis again for Sakurafubuki, this building and the other participants who had made him feel oh so welcome.

He kicked a stray ball that was lying in his path absent-mindedly. Just one more day and the tournaments would begin.

His stomach churned with uneasiness and suddenly he felt tired. Each step became a physical pain and he felt dizzy. He looked around for any sort of support but he was islanded in a sea of meaningless colour. He lost his footing and before his head touched the ground, a pair of strong arms steadied and supported him. He thought he saw brown-golden but too soon blackness engulfed his mind and sight.

Ryoga wasn't sure where he was as soon as he woke up. The blinds had been pulled down and no light came into the room. He looked for his cell phone and found it near his bed. He flipped it open and it gave the room an eerie quality, illuminated in blue light. Massive shadows formed on the walls and the floor.

"Ryan, how are you feeling?"

He turned his head towards the voice that gave him nightmares. Wearing white suit and red tie stood the billionaire and gambler Sakurafubuki.

"I must apologize I didn't meet you sooner. You know how difficult it is to arrange a tennis tournament. There are a million things that need to be done. Anyways, how are you feeling? I heard you had some sort of a dizzy spell? I'd say you eat well, wouldn't want to lose your strength for the tournament you know."

Ryoga clenched his teeth and fisted his hands.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why, paying my team's ex-captain a visit of course."

"What do you want from me after all these years?"

"You see, because of you I lost millions of yen in a little gambling spree and I plan to recover it from you."

"I'd pay you. Let my brother go."

"Ah I don't lack money as is clearly evident. It is your service that I require."

"Not again." Horror struck him as the truth finally dawned on him.

"Precisely. I see it was not a complete waste to go to Yale for a boy of your talents. I have invited some guests to be the audience and my customers and you will play just as I tell you to. Any deviation and your brother will be amply rewarded." he added sarcastically.

"Of course you will get paid too."

"I don't need money. Just let Ryoma go."

"Now now I can't do that. Invitations have already been sent out and there is going to huge coverage by the media. Your presence just makes it so much more exciting. I hope your skills haven't gotten rusty."

Ryoga looked away and cursed under his breath. He couldn't believe he would be so helpless in the presence of this man.

"Anyways, you need rest and I have work to do. See you soon Ryan."

He turned on his heel with grace that didn't belong to a fifty year old and walked out of the room. He looked over his shoulder and smirked.

"Be good Ryan."_Or your brother will pay._

Tezuka walked into the room and it took him a while to get used to the darkness. He moved his hand along the wall till he found the switch and switched it on. Light flooded into the room.

Ryan sat on the bed looking very much like he had seen a ghost.

"Are you feeling better?"

"How did I get here?"

"I followed you and when you passed out so I brought you here."

"Thank you. But why were you following me?" His voice was shriller than he had expected it to be.

"I wanted to apologize for my teammates' behaviour. It was unbecoming of them."

"I know you all don't think too much of my reputation."

"It is not our place to judge you." Ryoga looked at the stoic bespectacled youth before him. He couldn't be over nineteen and a certain aura about him piqued Ryoga's interest.

"There is still some dinner left in the kitchen."

"Thank you for everything Tezuka-san."

"Aa."

Both boys left the room towards the kitchen while the brown-eyed boy supported the black haired young man.

A/n: my apologies before not updating in a really long while. Mid-terms, MUN and college fest took up all of my time and probably many authors say this but real life got in the way. Sorry again and I can't promise how fast can I update but I'll be trying, remember that. Reviews help greatly.

Thank you for still sticking with the story. It means a lot.


	8. First Challenge

Chapter 7:

As he took another spoonful of his soup, he couldn't help be frustrated. He was being dragged into playing tennis by brutal force and he resented it. Ever since he was a child, he hated being told what to do, what was right and what was wrong.

He had run away with little money in his pockets and soon the streets of New York forced him make his own ends meet. That is when Sakurafubuki had spotted him playing in one of the street parks and had presented him with an offer that was too good to be true for a fourteen-year-old destitute. Chance to be a captain, play tennis and earn money—there was a lot of money involved and it all became with benefits-free accommodation, travelling around the world for matches, fame. But even as a child he knew tennis was not what he was going to pursue for a career and he had told Sakurafubuki as much.

He was in need of five thousand dollars to pay his tuition for a college in America when the billionaire approached him for his last game-against his brother. Playing against Ryoma, he realised just how good his brother had become in tennis, a drastic improvement since their last game and for the first time, he enjoyed tennis. He hit a ball that went right smack into the middle of Sakurafubuki's forehead and he had been able escape the storm with his brother.

But this time, the storm could not be surpassed; it was made sure of that. It still amazed him-Sakurafubuki's ability to organize and manipulate, he was a guru. No doubt the tennis tournaments would be a huge success legally at least and for his illegal activities, the world would never find out about the inner workings of his enterprise.

His rebellion streak was becoming prominent, but Ryoma's face came before him. When Ryoma was five, then ten, then twelve and now seventeen. He was the only one he truly called his family, him and Nanako.

_I want my son back. _Nanjiroh's last words echoed inside his head.

Ryoga sighed. It was no use dwelling on the past and would be better if he used his energy to concentrate on future instead. He still felt tired but more out of fatigue and lack of sleep than anything medical. Medicine and glucose had been able to restore majority of his previous energy levels. The doctor had been unavailable but a very nice nurse had reassured him that there was nothing wrong with him, and that he was fit enough to play. Ryoga had been greatly relieved at that. Truth be told, Ryoga had been scared out of his mind when he first woke in his room and his unplanned meeting with Sakurafubuki had not helped either.

He looked at the brunette sitting opposite him. Tezuka had remained silent throughout but if his memory was to be trusted, then he was often called "stoic" and "expressionless" by Chibusuke.

"Tezuka-san, thank you but you can leave me. I can find my way back."

"Ryan, it is okay,"

"Why are you here?" He was referring to the tournaments and somehow, Tezuka understood.

"It is yet another opportunity to play tennis, that's why,"

"Then why do you play tennis?"

"For the same reasons that you do,"

"Let us pray to god that your reasons aren't the same as mine. I hope there is no one more unfortunate than me." Tezuka believed he saw a haunted look on Ryoga but it was gone before he could be sure.

"What do you mean, Ryan?"

"Leave it. Tell me why you play tennis?"

"Because tennis is all that I have, I wouldn't know what to do without it. Tennis is my life."

"It must be nice to be able to enjoy tennis with so much passion. I wish I could have the chance to experience that, just for once."

"Then you don't enjoy tennis?"

"No, my passion lies in something else."

"Then why are you here?"

"For something bigger than my passion and my choices."

"What can be bigger than that?"

"What sort of a family do you have Tezuka-san?"

"My father is a business man and my mother is a home-maker. My grandfather is now a retired police officer and runs a dojo. I have no siblings of my own."

"Do you love your family? Think about it before you answer."

"Yes, yes I do."

"Then that is what is bigger than our passions and choices."

"Ah, look at the time! I have kept you from your bed and I apologize. Tomorrow is an important day and we'll need our full reserve of energy. Come on; let's head back to the room."

The abrupt shift in the topic of conversation and the mood unnerved Tezuka but he refrained from making any comments. He was after all Ryoma's brother and knowing the Echizen family, stubbornness was a strong trait in their personalities.

As Tezuka lay in his bed, he side-glanced towards the only other occupant of the room, his figure was enveloped in the soft glow of the moonlight streaming into their room and something about Ryoga told him that there was much more to Ryan than meets the eyes. For a brief moment, it looked as if the moonlight had become the shroud over his body but Tezuka did not let his mind dwell on that. Ryoga was here for Ryoma, he had been able to deduce as much from the previous conversation and Tezuka wished that things would turn out well for the older Echizen. Boy, he had never been more wrong in his life.

Next morning brought with itself a lot of sunshine and nervous excitement proving to be a good start for the tournaments.

Ryoga's stomach clenched at the sight of the fearsome blue of Seigaku, the proud yellow and black of Rikkai Dai and the sensational grey and white of Hyotei. His stomach clenched, not out of nervousness but out of the anticipation of a challenge. He was a predator and here were fifteen targets. Either he will hunt, or become hunted. Ryoga had no desire to become the latter and his adrenaline kicked in along with his instincts for a challenge. On the end of the stadium, he saw the white Fila cap covering a beautiful mass of black and teal. Golden orbs met his and the lips smirked.

_Mada mada dane. _They seemed to be saying.

_Mada mada daze, Chibusuke._ He replied and just then Ryoma's bratty smirk became a genuine smile, one that brought out the twinkle in the golden cat-like eyes.

True to Sakurafubuki's word, the media was in frenzy when the opening ceremony began right until the end when the roster for the players was announced.

"All participants please choose your partners."

"Hoi, are we playing doubles?" Kikumaru questioned.

"Saa, will you be my partner Momoshiro-kun?"

"Renji, pair with me?" Inui pushed his glasses up with two of his fingers.

In the end, the pairing was as follows:

INUI-RENJI

MOMOSHIRO-FUJI

KIRIHARA-YUKIMURA

TEZUKA-ATOBE

YAGUU-NIOU

SANADA-RYOMA

KAMIO-SHINJI

OISHI-EIJI

RYOGA- TACHIBANA.

"Due to uneven number of players, kaidoh Kaoru advances to the next level by default!" The voice on the megaphone boomed.

Kaidoh hissed, frustrated that he would not have the chance to play.

"You will now play against your chosen opponent in the courts A, B, C, D, E and F. After a fifteen minute break as soon as the matches end, the rest of the players will play. I wish all the players the very best!"

This news was particularly shocking to Eiji and Oishi.

"But I can't play against you Oishi, I can't!"

"Eiji, we are here to play tennis. It doesn't matter who we play against. Tennis is tennis Eiji," the mother hen chided.

While the red-head acrobat calmed down in a few minutes, the crowd went up in an uproar as soon as Ryoga stepped on to the court in his Black and black tennis attire .

...

Ryoga gritted his teeth as the ball continued to spin against the strings of his racquet. Tachibana was by no means an easy opponent, and Ryoga could not underestimate him. They were on the 10th game already and sweat poured down Ryoga's temple, cheek and neck. He was breathing heavily while Tachibana's shot continued to rain down on him with the same power as when they had first started the match. His high speed serves and quick reflexes hurt his eyes, as they were more sensitive to motion than the average people. This enabled him to see the ball, but it put too much strain on his eyes, and he knew if he wanted to win, he would have to end this match quickly. His chest hurt from the lack of oxygen and his knees were felling strained. His wrist was swollen and his confidence was dwindling.

On the other side of the net, Tachibana stood, clam like a mountain, unmoving, unfeeling. His breath was irregular, the rise and fall of his chest heavy, sweat glistened on his body but there was something solid in his eyes, the determination to win. Ryoga felt same thing wavering within him; he desperately wished he could sit down and have a long drink of cool water. He could almost fell the cold, refreshing liquid going down his throat, soothing, giving him life. He pulled himself out of his fantasy and sent the ball directly towards Tachibana with so much force and spin created that the ball did not bounce back. This was the same technique he had used when first playing against Nanjiroh.

He vaguely heard someone shout "Tsubame Gaeshi" from the audience.

_This shot has a name?_ Ryoga vaguely wondered.

Tachibana served and Ryoga caught it with his racquet. The muscles in his legs tensed. The ball stretched the racquet strings till the breaking point, and Ryan returned with the force from his upper arm releasing the tension in his slender muscles upward, in a smooth motion that moved steadily up his body and culminated into the exact moment when the racquet hit the ball. The trajectory of the ball resembled the movement made by a pouncing tiger. The smooth curve and the lethal grace intertwined beautifully, like flowing water, like art in motion. The sweet sound of the ball resonating on the court filled the whole stadium as suddenly it became deathly still. After all, it wasn't everyday Tachibana got beaten in tennis by a rookie who had been absent from the tennis scene for far too long to be remembered. It was the first time anyone ever witnessed the Tiger Curve Ball. Ryoma pulled his cap lower on his head and smirked.

_Che, you have gotten better aniki._ Almost sub-consciously he started calculating moves to counter the Tiger Curve Ball.

Ryan smirked and Tachibana frowned worse than before. He glared icily but in the end, the greatness of the match and the thrill of the challenge prevailed Tachibana's sour mood on losing in the tennis tournaments and he walked to the net for the customary hand shake before joining his team mates on the other end.

"I am happy to lose to you. You are a player worthy to be in this tournament," Tachibana smiled tiredly.

Ryoga shook his head to clear it of all the perspiration getting into his eyes and nodded once.

Ryoga had his first win in the tournament and the ecstasy was addicting. But as the adrenaline burned out, he became conscious of the fatigue and exhaustion he felt. His vision was blurry and things seemed to be dancing before his eyes. He turned around and caught Tezuka's eyes on him with the usual stoic expression but all he could do was reach his seat before he slipped away from the real world.

**A/n: As for the whole Ryoga/Ryan thing, it is sort of like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing. Ryan was the name Ryoga used on courts in America. He was known as Ryoga "Ryan" Echizen. Ryan was the ruthless player, the wild beast on the courts, the killer and hence the entire "hunt, hunted thing" in the chapter. Ryoga is the person who hides behind this. It is not exactly dual personality thing like Taka but sort of like this quote" a million deaths are a fact in history but one death is a tragedy in literature" it is a bad analogy but it conveys the meaning effectively I think. Ryan is Ryoga's mask, what he was forced to become by circumstances, the emotionless player. He is now Ryoga as he had been able to get out of the vicious cycle and had buried it deep until this. Get it? **


	9. Side Fic 2

Chapter 8

Ryoma looked bored like his usual self, drinking Ponta and the cap firmly placed on his head. However boredom gave away to something else, something more personal, and something he associated to people close to him. Momoshiro counted, Tezuka as well, but his family came first. Sure his father annoyed him to bits, his sister always preoccupied by studies or her friends or helping his mom in the kitchen and he had lost his mother some years ago. Strange that this feeling was returning now, worming its way into his emotional system, coming to associate it with his older half-brother Ryoga. Ryoma snorted, it sounded funny even in his own head.

While he liked Ryoga, he was an enigma, a stranger thrown into his family and forced to deal with. Initially, he was an annoyance but as they both grew older and Ryoma learned more of social skills, thanks to his team mates from Seigaku, he decided it wouldn't be too bad to actually give his brother a chance. Unfortunately, that happened at a time was Ryoga was stressed, and vulnerable and being as retarded as Ryoma in the social behaviour department, he masked it up as arrogance and usually pulled of his frustration and worries with an air of nonchalance for a mask.

Both now, that they had gained a few more abilities and talents and had actually given each other a chance, he found he admired his brother. Ryoma wasn't sure if he had the courage to do what Ryoga did, walk out of comfort and safety to pursue his passions. Ryoga was persistent and stubborn but he had the wisdom and the maturity that most at his age would lack. Because he fought for everything he had, he fought even harder to make sure he kept it and treasured them with more importance than normal people. But Ryoga had never been normal to begin with. He was prodigious in a way. His insight was scary, almost like that King of Monkey, and his analytical skills were god-like. He could twist the simplest truth and manipulate almost everybody. Heck, he could probably sell ice to Eskimos for a dollar a cube.

But beneath all that, Ryoma found a warm and caring person. A man of simplicity and a man of heart. Softly Ryoma smiled, his bored smirk changing into a small smile. Now what was the feeling he was thinking about earlier? Ah, yes worry. He was worried for his brother, sitting outside the clinic waiting while the doctors ran tests on his brother. He had fainted after his match, and he learned from Tezuka that this was the second time that it had happened. So Ryoma was worried, but not too much as tennis could be strenuous to those not used to it. It could be out of stress, the nurse had told them, Ryoma and Tezuka, but Ryoma was certain it wasn't so. Ryoga had graduated from Yale, put up with Sakurafubuki for almost a year and a half, and _**that**_to be more stressful than playing tennis against Tachibana. The ex-captain from Fudomine was a high-class player, but he was simply too..._mada mada dane_ compared to Ryoma. So, it definitely wasn't stress, so it must be physical exhaustion. Ryoma seemed happy from his deductions and went to sip his Ponta, sweet and chilled against his lips, and put his hand behind his head as he waited outside the clinic. For his brother.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 8 – The binding strings.

Fuji Syusuke watched as Tezuka continued to frown over the stack of papers that outlined his schedule for the upcoming matches that he was holding in one hand while massaging his head with the other.

"It's time to go home Tezuka."

Tezuka frowned deeper. "I am not going home," he stated with finality. "I am not done yet."

"The match isn't until the next week. Take a break, you know you deserve it." Fuji knew just how difficult it was for Tezuka to remain in control. He could clearly see through the ex-buchou's stoic facade, the emotions, running like the blood in his veins, threatening overwhelmingly that they would break out of Tezuka from the inside, starting with the crack that had appeared the day _he _ died...

"_I felt it..." the boy with the teal-black hair breathed out. Every breath caused him physical pain. It hurt even more to cough. His face was twisted, glistening in sweat, as his body racked with spasms. He looked nothing like how he had, two days ago, sleeping, peaceful, and draped in moonlight. Now, he was fighting to breathe, no peace on his features, his golden cat-like eyes, bearing so much resemblance to his brother, haunted by exhaustion that came from beyond his physical limits._

"_I felt it..." He licked his cracked lips._

"_Please don't say anymore."_

_He shook his head. "I felt it. The thrill...The thrill of tennis I felt it, Tezuka."_

_Tears came to Tezuka's eyes, hidden behind rimless glasses as he saw the boy struggle._

"_Just a little while more," he pleaded. "The paramedics will be here shortly."_

Tezuka sighed. While Fuji had gone home, eyeing him sceptically before he turned around and walked out, the memories were just starting to resurface. He looked over the photograph that sat on his neat desk. Framed in deep mahogany frame, it showed the two of them, shortly after the All Japan Tennis Tournament.

Ryoma had won the tournaments by default, and soon went on win his second Grand Slam, standing 1st in ATP rankings. But his win had not been without price. Minutes after winning, his world came crashing down, as he ran frantically to the hospital. He had lost his family that day.

_Tezuka stood to one side, as Ryoma sobbed. As Tezuka looked at the man lying in the coffin with tear-stained eyes, his pain grew even more, turning his heart into knots. He turned away when finally they closed the lid, and Tezuka walked forward to carry the man to his final resting place. At least the dead man had enjoyed a few moments of family and love._

Tezuka was surprised to find wetness on his cheeks when he finally snapped back to reality. Tezuka still had his papers in his hand and he had clutched them while reminiscing in the hrkejfoesghiosgohr

He sighed and smoothed the creases on the papers as best as he could. He wanted to work but his mind wasn't co-operating with him. It would be pointless to continue now that his concentration was so far gone. He got up, took a last look at his desk and exited into cold night of New York City.

It was oddly comforting, the chill against his cheeks, making them appear flushed. Tezuka pressed his hands further into his coat pockets, to keep them from shaking that had nothing to do with the bitter cold. As he walked on the familiar road to home, his mind travelled back to the last day of the All Japan Tennis Tournament. He finally understood what the black-green haired guy had told him.

"_I need to choose. To live or to die," Ryoga murmured. _

_Tezuka had seen him talking to Sakurafubuki after his match against Tachibana. He tried to listen in on their conversation but Ryoga had spotted him, hiding behind a wall, suspicion clearly written over his face. Ryoga had then, with one look, silently pleaded him to go away. These were dangerous waters._

_Ryoga had then gone on the tennis courts behind the gym, the very same one where he had gone to on the first day that he had arrived in New York, the very same courts where Tezuka had saved him._

"_Ryoga?"_

"_Tezuka, please leave me alone." Ryoga seemed oddly calm, none of his frustrations showing on the surface._

"_Are you working for Sakurafubuki?" Silence mounted between them, reaching its breaking point before Ryoga finally answered._

"_Yes."_

_Tezuka looked at Ryoga for a brief second. Was this the man he had come to admire? The usual poker mask hid his disgust well but not well enough, as Ryoga looked pained. Tezuka turned around to leave._

"_You asked me why I play tennis. It's because of Ryoma," Ryoga said in a quiet tone. He explained to Tezuka the circumstances that had led him to this tournament._

"_He said I need to win to let Ryoma go free. He has made a similar deal with Ryoma. If he wins, he'd let me go free. And yes, Sakurafubuki is a lot of things but he always honours his words," There were a silent resignation in his eyes as if he had succumbed to his fate. "I need to choose. To live or to die."_

In the end, Ryoga had chosen to live; for his ideals, for his principals and for his family. He had promised Rinko after all to try harder to be a part of the Echizen family. So, in the end Ryoga had lived to honour the promise by quietly dying.

_Ryoga had also told him about his condition. Cardiac Dysrhythmia._

"_It's a cardiac disorder. It results in a heartbeat that is too fast, too slow or too weak to supply the body's needs, this manifests as a lower blood pressure and may cause light-headedness or dizziness, or fainting." Ryoga had conveniently left out that this arrhythmia was also fatal, especially for a tennis player like him._

What a match it had been. One to be honoured by the professional tennis world for years to come. Beautiful display of skill, interwoven with the strong will to win. The match, despite being for one set, had continued for over three hours.

_The sunny day soon turned grey with the overcast of black clouds, as water, in swift motions, fell towards the awaiting earth. The two tennis players seemed hardly concerned. _

_Tezuka could see Ryoga becoming aware of his erratically beating heart, struggling to pump enough blood into his limbs even as the ball grew heavier, soaking in water with each return. At this stage, technique no longer mattered; the match had long become a raw battle of clashing wills to win._

_Twist Serve. Rising. Cyclone smash. Tiger Curve Ball. Drive B. Smash. Drive A. Smash. Higuma Otoshi. Lob. Rondo towards Destruction. Tezuka Zone. Zero-Shiki drop-shot. Tsubame Gaeshi. Nitroyu. Tight Rope Walking._

_Some of the most brilliant moves had been played. The ball rolled along the net, tilting, and swaying and in the end it fell on the clay court. The stadium was stunned into silence as the Prince was defeated by the Master. The thump of Ryoga's body falling echoed clearly._

Tezuka could still feel the tension that he had felt when he had seen the lithe body fall after the match. The doctors had declared the tennis player to be brought dead when the management team had rushed him to the hospital. Post-mortem reports stated that he had died of acute cardiac arrest. But Tezuka knew it in his bones that Ryoga had left no regrets behind. Shortly before the match between the Echizen brothers, he had received a phone call from Japan.

"_Ryoga, ganbatte."_

"_Arigatou otou-san," Ryoga's voice faltered in the end._

"_I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I do not consider you one of them.I know it may seem selfish. I also know that I have not been much of a father to you but I do really hope that you can forgive your old man. It has taken me a long time to realise but I can say this to you now, life does not revolve tennis for you and I am ready to accept that. You remind me of your mother, stubborn, caring and selfless. Do what's right. I want my son back. Both my sons." By the end of the short conversation, Ryoga could barely restrain the tears that were threatening to flow. He hardened his resolve._

_I am sorry father, but I cannot fulfil this wish of yours. _

Nanjiroh never did get the chance to be a father to his first born son after that day.

Tezuka entered the flat that had once belonged to Ryoga Echizen. He had bequeathed it to Ryoma who in turn had rented it out to Tezuka, an emerging pro tennis player whose talent in the sport rivalled that of the current reigning champion, who the media had dubbed as the Prince of Tennis. Tezuka was challenged in his quest by none other than his long-standing rivals, the Ice Emperor, Atobe Keigo, the Tensai Fuji Syusuke and the Child of God, Yukimura Seichi. He shuffled inside, his coat going to the little closet in the hall, depositing his briefcase, keys and his switched -off phone on the kitchen counter before proceeding to his bedroom.

Tezuka had thought of Ryoga quite often in the last few months, but something about him remained an enigma even till now. Just why the hell was Sakurafubuki interested in Ryoga, long after he had quit tennis?

.

.

.

Sakurafubuki sat in his chambers, nursing his drink. The tournaments had been hugely successful and the earnings had propelled him further among the rich elites of the world. But even then, Ryoga had managed to beat him.

Sakurafubuki had always been fascinated by the eleven-year-old he had found on the streets of the Big Apple. The stormy golden eyes that held so much passion were oddly similar to Sakurafubuki's. He knew the price of pursuing his ambitions. When he took Ryoga in, without any knowledge of his heritage, he had seen a certain beast in that boy, a beast that was hungry to prove itself. It often manifested as cruelty on the courts and he couldn't help but be proud of him. On court, the boy seemed to revel in the plight of others, but off court, only his studies concerned him. It was then that he decided to name the Japanese's alter personality on the courts as Ryan, the Master. However his illusions about the boy had been broken on the cruise ship, when he had chosen family over him. It was ironic really, because he hadn't even picked the right family.

The glow from his table lamp cast a soft illumination on the sole photograph resting on the desk. A beautiful woman, no more than in her mid-twenties, stared back at Sakurafubuki with eyes that were brimming with happiness and mischief. Her smile was loop-sided like she had a hard time controlling her laughter. Her long black hair flowed behind her, picked up by the wind while she tried to hold her hat in place on her head with one hand.

_Kimiko._

_Kimiko._

_Kimiko._

Sakurafubuki repeated the name several times like an incantation to seek warmth from the woman in the photograph in his cold room.

_Kimiko_. The similarities were obvious. He was amazed he had not noticed them before: they had the same curve of lip, the same intense gaze, the same confidence of strut.

She had deserted her family because of the Samurai and in the end she had died without him by her side. He had disowned her, but even then, he couldn't let her go. Their bond as siblings ran way deeper than a silly affair with Nanjiroh to threaten it. He had however been clueless about the son she had given birth to. He had not known of the existence of his nephew until a few days ago when he had accidentally come across certain hospital papers. What shocked him even more was that he had already known his nephew.

The strings of fate sure were tangled.

He couldn't suppress the rage he had felt towards Nanjiroh for taking his family away from him, not once, but twice. The Samurai may have been too old to play tennis but his little brat would suffice.

Sakurafubuki took a long swig from the glass, the ice clinking together. It had all been simple really. But in the end, he had lost and the cursed upstart Nanjiroh had won again, without even knowing the game.

He had called Ryoga to remind him of the fun that they had share together. Sakurafubuki wanted more of it and primarily he had wanted his sister's son to kill his own half-brother. The All Japan Tennis Tournament fulfilled his brief of requirements very well and everything from the start went along as he had planned.

He was so sure the beast within Ryoga would show itself, once faced with his past, but he had been unaware of the complications that would arise due to Ryoga's physical condition. He had chosen to play knowing all too well that he would not walk out of the court unharmed. By dying, he had saved his brother and had thwarted Sakurafubuki's plan.

The old man gave a mirthless laugh. It had grown dark since long. The billionaire held his empty glass in one hand while the other was curled around the cold metal. He sat in the room for the remainder of the night and the next morning the police found his dead body, shot to death at point blank range. He still had his gun in his right hand, but his left hand clutched tightly a crumpled photograph of his ever-smiling sister.

With everything forgotten in time, no one would notice the small curve of her belly, her hand hiding and protecting it with maternal instinct.

~End~

A/n: Thank you everyone who has supported this fic of mine. It has been a pleasure writing it and I hope you have equally enjoyed reading it. Thank you.


End file.
